What happens in an art therapy session, what is in the room and what happens to your drawing? Read how creative work flows from first meeting to the end.
When you open the door, there is a table in front of you with paper on it, a box of pastels, perhaps a bag of clay. A thought crosses your mind: "Are they going to ask me to draw now? What if I can't do it?" This is exactly the worry we hear most often about an art therapy session. People going to a meeting where creative methods are used for the first time wonder what they will do, what they will talk about, what will happen to the drawing they make and how the process will end. In this article we explain step by step what happens before, during and after an art therapy session, from the first meeting to the closing. Our aim is to ease the anxiety that comes with the unknown and to paint a realistic picture of what you will encounter. Every practitioner's way of working may differ slightly; what we describe here is the general framework that is common in the field.
The First Meeting: What Is Discussed Before an Art Therapy Session?
A process using creative methods, like other forms of psychological support, usually begins with an introductory and assessment meeting. In this first meeting, the following topics are generally covered:
- Reason for seeking support: What has brought you here, how long has it been going on, and how is it affecting your daily life?
- History and current situation: Whether you have had psychological support before, your health, and any treatment you are currently receiving.
- Expectations: What do you hope to gain from this process? What are your curiosities or reservations about creative methods?
- Framework: How often and how long sessions will be, cancellations, and ways of getting in touch.
- Confidentiality and artwork: That what is discussed and what is created will be kept confidential, where the artwork will be stored, and that it will not be shown to anyone without your permission.
You may not be expected to start drawing straight away in the first meeting. Some practitioners offer a short, easy creative invitation in this meeting, while others devote it entirely to getting to know each other and talking about the framework. If you would like to read first about the basic logic of creative methods and who they may suit, you can start with our article what is art therapy. If you are wondering more generally what happens in the first meeting of any therapy process, our article on the first therapy session may also guide you.
When working with children, the first meeting is usually held with the family. The child's developmental history, school and home life, and the situations worrying the family are discussed. The child, meanwhile, is told in age-appropriate language that this is a place for play, drawing and talking, where what they say and do will be received with care.
What Is in the Room? Materials and Setting
Rooms where creative work takes place are usually simple but rich in materials. Commonly found materials include:
- Pencils, coloured pencils, pastels and felt-tip pens
- Watercolours, gouache and finger paint
- Clay, play dough or modelling clay
- Old magazines, scissors and glue (for collage)
- Paper and card in different sizes and colours
- Sometimes scraps of fabric, string and natural materials (stones, leaves, twigs)
Variety of materials matters, because each material offers a different experience. A pencil provides control and clarity, while watercolour can be fluid and unpredictable. Clay calls for direct contact with the hands and the use of strength. Some people prefer to start with materials they can control and may move on to freer materials over time. The practitioner may suggest a material that suits how the person is feeling that day, but the choice is mostly left to the person.
There is no "right" way to use the materials either. Tearing the paper, squashing the clay and reshaping it, spreading paint with your fingers or scribbling over a drawing entirely are all forms of expression. The practitioner only sets limits for safety; for example, that scissors or materials are not used in a way that could harm the person or anyone else.
A setting that feels safe matters just as much as the materials. A table where you can work without worrying about getting messy, quiet, not being rushed and not being judged are the preconditions of creative expression.
Step by Step: What Happens in an Art Therapy Session?
A session usually lasts between 45 and 60 minutes and consists roughly of four stages. These stages are not a strict rule but a flexible skeleton.
1. Opening and settling in
The session begins with a short chat: How did your week go, how are you feeling today? Sometimes there is a brief look at the work from the previous session, and whatever has come to mind in the meantime is discussed.
2. Creating
The practitioner either offers an open-ended invitation or leaves you completely free. An example of an invitation: "If you wanted to draw whatever is inside you today as a weather forecast, what would it look like?" In free work, you decide what to do. At this stage the practitioner usually accompanies you quietly, helping with materials if needed, but does not tell you what to draw. The time spent creating can range from a few minutes to most of the session.
3. Looking and talking
When the work is finished, you look at it together. The most important principle of this stage is that you are the one who interprets it. The practitioner does not impose an interpretation such as "This tree represents your mother"; instead they ask questions with curiosity: "What is the first thing you notice when you look at this picture?", "Where in the picture do you feel most at ease?", "If this figure could speak, what would it say?" Sometimes, rather than talking, simply looking and sitting quietly with the work is enough. Small experiments can also be tried to see the work from different angles, such as hanging the paper on the wall, looking at it from a distance or turning it upside down; this helps the person look at their own work with fresh eyes.
4. Closing
The last few minutes of the session are set aside for gathering up the feelings that have opened up. You decide together where the work will be kept. If needed, a short breathing or grounding exercise helps ease the return to everyday life.
In an art therapy session, the real work happens not on the paper, but in the relationship that forms between you and your work as you look at it.
Imagine a retired accountant in his sixties who has started to feel "useless" since retiring and who comes to sessions at his children's insistence. In the first few sessions he draws only small, neat boxes in pencil. One day clay is suggested; he hesitates for a long time, then starts squeezing the clay in his palms, looks at the shape that emerges and laughs: "For the first time in my life I don't have to do something perfectly." This sentence opens the door to talking about the "I must never make a mistake" rule he has carried all his life.
How Do Sessions Differ with Children and Adolescents?
In work with children, the creating stage is usually longer and the talking stage shorter. Young children tell stories while they draw, turn clay into a toy, walk a figure around the room. As a result, there are frequent transitions between drawing, play and movement. Rather than interpreting what the child says, the practitioner reflects it back: "This bear is running really fast", "You've built a huge wall here." This attitude lets the child feel heard and makes room for them to name their own feelings. The practitioner meets with the family at regular intervals; however, the child's work from the sessions is shared in a way that does not damage the child's trust and with the child's knowledge.
With adolescents, privacy is even more important. A young person wants to know whether their drawings will be shown to their family. When working with adolescents, materials close to their world can also be used, such as music, song lyrics, comic strip panels or photographs taken on a phone. A young person who resists talking may open up more easily while their hands are busy.
What Happens If Difficult Feelings Come Up?
Creative work can sometimes open up unexpectedly strong feelings. A colour can bring back a memory, a shape a loss. This is not a "failure" but a natural part of the process; it does, however, need to be met with care.
At moments like these, the practitioner usually slows the pace, asks whether the person feels safe and pauses the work if necessary. If the person does not want to continue at that moment, this is respected; the work can be set aside and returned to in another session. Going slowly is a basic principle, especially where trauma or grief are involved.
Sometimes the opposite happens: the person sits down at the table and cannot do anything. The paper stays blank and the pencil just turns in their hand. This is meaningful too. Talking about what you feel in front of a blank page can sometimes say as much as a drawing. The practitioner does not push you at such a moment; they might suggest a smaller sheet of paper, a single colour or just one line. The aim is not to produce something, but to find the first step that feels safe for you.
If thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life come up during a session, this should be talked about openly with the practitioner. If such thoughts intensify outside the session, call 112 (emergency services) without delay or go to the nearest emergency department.
Who Owns the Artwork? Confidentiality and Ethical Principles
The work created during an art therapy session falls within confidentiality, just like what is said in the session. Ethical principles widely accepted in the field include:
- The work belongs to the person. It is kept, photographed or shared only with the person's explicit permission.
- Sharing such as exhibitions and social media is only possible with explicit consent. With children, both the parent's permission and the child's own consent are required.
- Interpretations are not imposed. The meaning of the work is discovered together with the person; the practitioner does not present their own interpretation as an established truth.
- It is not used for diagnosis. Children's drawings in particular cannot be used as a diagnostic tool on their own, and they are not shown to others for this purpose. Assessment draws on several sources, such as observation, family interviews and, where necessary, standardised tests.
We cover this subject in detail in our article on ethics in art therapy.
How Does the Process End? Closing and the Final Session
A process using creative methods may end when the agreed goals have been reached, at a point where the person feels ready, or for other reasons. Closing is healthier when it is planned as a process spread over several sessions rather than as a sudden end.
Some activities specific to closing include:
- Reviewing the artwork together: The drawings, collages or clay pieces kept throughout the process are spread out on the table. The person may notice differences between the first weeks and the last. This is often a clearer story of change than words.
- Deciding the future of the artwork: The person may want to take some pieces home, leave some behind or bring some to an end with a small ritual.
- A farewell piece: A final drawing or a short piece of writing symbolising the process can make the closing meaningful.
- Planning for the future: Creative self-care tools you can use when things get hard, and ways of seeking support again if needed, are discussed.
Closing can be challenging in itself for some people. Someone who has experienced sudden separations or losses in the past may experience the end of the process as a loss too. That is why it is important to discuss the ending in advance, to know how much time remains until the last session and to make room for saying goodbye. The person should know that they can come back if they struggle after the process has ended; closing is not the locking of a door, but the careful completion of a chapter.
Is an Online Art Therapy Session Possible?
When meeting face to face is not possible, creative work can also be adapted for online sessions. In this case the person works with materials at home and shows their work to the camera or shares a photograph of it. You may be asked to prepare a few basic materials before the session (paper, coloured pencils, perhaps some play dough).
Online work has some advantages: the person works in their own space, in a familiar environment, and access becomes easier for those living in another city or abroad. It also has limitations, though: there is less variety of materials, there is no opportunity to touch and look at the work together, and it can be hard to ensure privacy at home. With young children in particular, face-to-face work is often more suitable. In online therapy, too, it is possible to make use of simple creative tools such as drawing and writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to talk in an art therapy session?
No. In some sessions there is a lot of talking, in others almost none. Part of the value of creative work is that it offers another way of expressing yourself where words are not enough. You decide how much you talk.
What should I wear to a session?
Since you may be working with paint, clay or glue, it is a good idea to wear comfortable clothes you will not mind getting messy. That way you will not hold yourself back while using the materials.
How many sessions does the process last?
This depends on the reason for seeking support, the goals and the person's needs. There are short, focused processes as well as work lasting many months. The length is usually discussed together in the first meetings and reviewed as the process goes on.
Can I take my drawing home?
The work belongs to you; whether you want to take it home is something you talk about. Some practitioners suggest keeping the work safely throughout the process and reviewing it together at the closing; the final decision is always made together with you.
Bu yazı genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır; tanı veya tedavi yerine geçmez. Yaşadığınız güçlükler için bir ruh sağlığı uzmanına başvurmanız önerilir. Acil bir durumda lütfen 112'yi arayın.
Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
Eğitimler
